Switch actuating arrangement



Aug. 15, 1967 F}, HADLEY 3,336,458

SWITCH ACTUATING ARRANGEMENT Filed June 20, 1966 l N VEN TORv ROBERT P. HADLEY United States Patent 3,336,458 SWITCH ACTUATING ARRANGEMENT Robert P. Hadley, Freeport, Ill., assignor to Honeywell Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 20, 1966, Ser. No. 558,715 6 Claims. (Cl. 200-172) The present invention is generally directed to an actuating arrangement. In the preferred embodiment, a switch actuating arrangement is disclosed.

The switch actuating arrangement disclosed herein requires but a switch housing and a switch actuator, there being no additional mounting elements, pivotal elements, or the like; The housing to be utilized with the present invention merely requires the incorporation of spaced integral leg portions forsupporting the actuator. The actuator to be utilized in the present invention is a single member formed in a straightforward manner. The assembly of the actuator to the housing involves only disposing the oppositely outwardly extending arm portions of the actuator in complementary openings provided in the upright leg portions of the housing and supplying a relative deformation therebetween to maintain the actuator in place in the housing.

Thus with the present invention an actuating arrangement is provided which requires a minimum of parts which are easily fabricated and which are easily assembled.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an actuating arrangement comprising merely the device to be actuated and an actuator, both of which can be formed in a straightforward manner and assembled in a straightforward manner.

These and other objects will become more apparent from a reading of the following specification and appended claims wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a switch actuating arrangement incorporating the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partial side view of the housing of the switch with the actuator in the initial stage of assembly;

FIGURE 3 is a partial side view of the housing of the switch with the actuator in a further stage of assembly;

FIGURE 4 is a partial end view of the housing of the switch with the actuator in the operative position with a relative deformation between the actuator and the housing to prevent removal of the actuator from the housing;

FIGURE 5 is a-plan view of the actuator prior to assembly; and

FIGURE 6 is a partial plan view of the actuator after assembly.

In FIGURE 1 a switch 10 which may be generally of the type disclosed in the Martin Patent 2,644,052 includes a housing 12 comprising a base 14 with mounting holes 16 and 18 and a cover 20 secured thereto having a pair of spaced upstanding leg portions 22 integrally formed therewith and a pair of stop portions 24, the function of which will become apparent below. The upstanding leg portions 22 each include a stepped or L-shaped opening 26 having a narrow outer portion 27 and a broader inner portion 28. A driver or plunger 29 is guided in the cover 20 for actuating the switch mechanism, not shown.

Still referring to FIGURE 1, a leaf actuator 30 which may be of cruciform shape includes a first leg 32 which overlies and rests on the plunger 29 for driving the same upon inward movement of the actuator 30. The crosspiece of the cruciform includes a pair of oppositely outwardly extending arm portions 34 which are disposed in the L-shaped openings 26 in a manner which will be expanded upon below. A second leg of the cruciform is in the form of a pair of tangs 36 which are arranged to ice cooperate with the stop portions 24 as will become apparent below.

Prior to assembly, the actuator 30 is of the form shown in FIGURE 5 with the tangs 36 extending generally parallel to the main body of the actuator 30. In the initial stage of assembly, the actuator 30 is disposed in the L- shaped openings 26 generally at right angles to the operative position of the actuator 30 as shown in FIGURE 1, with the surfaces 34a of the arms 34, referring particularly to FIGURE 5, engaging the lower surfaces 28a of the inner portions 28 of the L-shaped openings 26 as shown in FIGURE 2. It will be noted that the breadth and width of the arms 34 are such as to allow entry of the actuator '30 into the L-shaped openings 26 and past the outer portions 27 thereof only as just described. The curvature of relief 20a provided in cover 20', best shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, and the breadth of the arms 34 and of the inner portions 28 of the L-shaped openings 26 are such that the actuator 30 can be rotated to its operative position. In FIGURE 3 the actuator 30 is shown partially rotated to the operative position. Continued rotation of course results in the actuator 30 assuming the position shown in FIGURE 1 with the first leg 32 thereof resting on the plunger 29 and the upper surfaces 34b of the arm portions 34 engaging the upper surfaces 28b of the inner portions 28 of the L-shaped openings 26. This particular relationship between the upper surfaces 34b of the arms 34 and the upper surfaces 28b of the inner portions 28 is brought about because of the lever ratios of the actuator 30 with respect to the plunger 29. Because of the breadth of the arms 34 of the actuator 30 and of the outer portions 27 of the L-shaped openings 26, the arms 34 are limited in outward movement by the upper surfaces 28b of the inner portions 28 of the L-shaped openings 26.

To maintain the actuator 30 in the position shown in FIGURE 1, it is necessary to deform the tangs 36 outwar-dly to the position shown in FIGURES 4 and 6, so that the tangs 36 engage the stop portions 24 of the cover 20 should an attempt be made to reposition the actuator 30 to that shown in FIGURE 3.

Because of the relative dimensions of the arm portions 34 and the inner portions 28 and outer portions 27 of the L-shaped openings 26, it will be appreciated that the assembly of the actuator 30 can take place only in the manner shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, and upon deformation of the tangs 36 shown in FIGURE 4, disassembly can not take place.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a straightforward switch actuating arrangement has been provided which involves only the switch to be actuated and an actuator, both of which can be easily formed and assembled, one to the other. While a preferred embodiment has been disclosed, the scope of the invention should be determined from the following claims.

I claim:

1. An actuating arrangement comprising: an actuator for moving a driver located in a housing; said actuator including a portion for engagement with the driver and a pair of arm portions extending oppositely and outwardly from the main body thereof; said housing including a pair of spaced upstanding leg portions each including an opening to accept an arm portion of said actuator, one opening being stepped and having a narrower outer portion and a broader inner portion; the relative dimensions of the arm portions of said actuator and the outer portion of said one opening and said other opening being such as to accept entry of the associated arm portions in the outer portion of said one opening and said other opening when said actuator is positioned at an angle to the operative position thereof; the relative dimensions of the arm portions of said actuator and the inner portion of said opening being such as to preclude removal of the arms from the inner portion when said actuator is in the operative position and upon a relative deformation between a portion of said housing and a portion of said actuator being provided so that said actuator is prevented from being repositioned to said angle.

2. The combination of claim 1: wherein both openings are stepped.

3. The combination of claim 2: wherein the stepped openings are of generally L-shape with the outer portion corresponding to the upright portion of the L and the inner portion corresponding to the base of the L.

4. The combination of claim 3: wherein the actuator is of cruciform shape with the portion for engagement with the driver forming one leg, the arm portions forming the crosspiece and the opposite leg including a deformable portion to provide the relative deformation and said housing includes a stop portion for association with said deformable portion so that said actuator is prevented from being repositioned to said angle.

5. The combination of claim 4: wherein the deformable portion is in the form of at least one tang which when deformed is deformed in the main plane of said actuator.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said housing encloses a switch mechanism, said driver is a switch plunger for actuating said switch mechanism, and said actuator is a substantially planar member.

References Cited ROBERT K. SCHAEPER, Primary Examiner.

H. O. JONES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ACTUATING ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING: AN ACTUATOR FOR MOVING A DRIVER LOCATED IN A HOUSING; SAID ACTUATOR INCLUDING A PORTION FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE DRIVER AND A PAIR OF ARM PORTIONS EXTENDING OPPOSITELY AND OUTWARDLY FROM THE MAIN BODY THEREOF; SAID HOUSING INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACED UPSTANDING LEG PORTIONS EACH INCLUDING AND OPENING TO ACCEPT AN ARM PORTION OF SAID ACTUATOR, ONE OPENING BEING STEPPED AND HAVING A NARROWER OUTER PORTION AND A BROADER INNER PORTION; THE RELATIVE DIMENSIONS OF THE ARM PORTIONS OF SAID ACTUATOR AND THE OUTER PORTION OF SAID ONE OPENING AND SAID OTHER OPENING BEING SUCH AS TO ACCEPT ENTRY OF THE ASSOCIATED ARM PORTIONS IN THE OUTER PORTION OF SAID ONE OPENING AND SAID OTHER OPENING WHEN SAID ACTUATOR IS POSITIONED AT AN ANGLE TO THE OPERATIVE POSITION THEREOF; THE RELATIVE DIMENSIONS OF THE ARM PORTIONS OF SAID ACTUATOR AND THE INNER PORTION OF SAID OPENING BEING SUCH AS TO PRECLUDE REMOVAL OF THE ARMS FROM THE INNER PORTION WHEN SAID ACTUATOR IS IN THE OPERATIVE POSITION AND UPON A RELATIVE DEFORMATION BETWEEN A PORTION OF SAID HOUSING AND A PORTION OF SAID ACTUATOR BEING PROVIDED SO THAT SAID ACTUATOR IS PREVENTED FROM BEING REPOSITIONED TO SAID ANGLE. 